Lives Entwined
by Emerald Imagination
Summary: Without comprehending what he was doing, he leaned over his desk and whispered, “I’m Elliot,” he introduced. Olivia turned a bit to look at the boy behind her and retorted, “I know. The teacher pointed you out to me, remember?" Ah, high school. SVUXCI
1. Background

**Lives Entwined**

_Prologue: Background_

"Robert?! Robert?!"

The cries of his mother broke eighteen year old Robert Goren out of his reflections. He was staring at himself in the full length mirror in his room, cocking his head to the side as he scrutinized his choice of outfit. Robert Goren was not a vain man, and truth be told, he really did not take too much care in his outward appearance, but he felt that his first day as a senior at New York City High deserved some sort of consideration. As usual, he was wearing dark jeans and a collared shirt- white today. He was tall, already reaching his full height at six foot three. He was fit, not scrawny, not buff, and not overweight. He had dark hair and brown eyes; his facial features were soft, making him look approachable. When he smiled, he revealed straight, white teeth, and whiskers covered the lower half of his face.

Robert Goren matured incredibly quick, both physically and mentally. He was incredibly smart for his age, and had no qualms with revealing his intelligence. Due to the fact that his father left them when he was only eleven, and the fact his older brother was a flake, he felt a personal responsibility to take care of his mother, who had shown signs of schizophrenia when he was just seven years old. He was not the typical "dumb jock", although he did play basketball as a power forward for his high school's team, nor did he have the typical jock look. He was cute, he was attractive, but he wasn't as chiseled as some of his teammates, and he was charming in an intelligent way. He was not incredibly popular. All of these factors only caused him to be more isolated than before.

"Robert?! Robert?!"

He sighed, closing his eyes, and turned to grab his keys and binder before heading out of his room. On the way downstairs, he glanced in his brother's room and rolled his eyes. Of course he wasn't awake. When was he ever awake when he was home these days?

"Yes Mom," Bobby replied as he walked down the stairs.

Robert Goren's mother, Francis, was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at an empty glass. Her eyes jumped up when she saw her son walk in, his binder under his arm and his car keys shoved in his pocket.

"Where are you going, Robert?" she asked him, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"I start school today, Mom," he explained to her. He had lost count on just how many times he explained this to her, but over the years, he had developed patience for her because he knew that he was the only one who could help, largely due to the fact that his brother was "too 

busy" to do anything for her. And yet, for some reason Bobby could not figure out, she adored him, maybe even more so than him.

"Oh." Her voice was quiet as her eyes returned to stare at the transparent glass. "And you'll come home right after school?"

"I will come home right after basketball practice, Mom," he confirmed. Then, he quickly changed the subject before she could argue with him. "Is there anything I can get for you before I leave?"

"Yes," she said, and then nodded at the glass. "Can you get me some orange juice, Robert? I am so thirsty."

He took the glass in his hand, and then walked to the refrigerator that was a foot behind the older woman and opened it, grabbing the orange juice and pouring her a glass. Robert placed the glass in front of his mother, and then leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'll see you soon, okay Mom?" he told her.

His mother didn't respond, just stared at the glass filled with orange juice, hesitating before finally taking a sip. He sighed through his nose and then grabbed his binder, heading out the door wondering if his mother even noticed that he was gone.

* * *

The beeping of her alarm awoke Olivia from a troubled slumber. She always had trouble sleeping before the first day of school, and made sure to set her alarm and hour before she had to leave. She yawned and glanced out her window; the sun was just peeking over the skyscrapers, informing the City's inhabitants that today was going to be a beautiful day. Already she could hear the honks of the cars from below, and smile played across her face. While many people complained about the noise the City provides, she happened to find it comforting to know that she was not alone in the world.

Olivia crawled out of her bed and made her way to the bathroom so she could take a shower, yawning as she did so. The hot beads of water dripped over her body, waking her more and more. She grabbed a citrus shampoo and washed her shoulder-length hair, the fruity scent filling the bathroom and making Olivia smile.

After her shower, she blew her hair dry, got dressed and ate a quick breakfast. As she brushed her teeth, she studied herself in the mirror. Her brown hair was left down, and the bangs she decided to try out was pushed to the right side of her face. She wore light make-up, only mascara and lip gloss. She was wearing tight jeans and boots, giving her a couple more inches in height. As a sophomore, she was five foot seven so in reality she really didn't need the extra 

boost, but she liked it. She wore a deep violet v-neck shirt with a white wife beater underneath, adding a layered effect to her choice of clothing.

When she was finished rinsing her mouth, she ran her fingers through her hair and sprayed on vanilla body spray before grabbing her backpack and heading out to start her day. What she saw in the living room of her apartment stopped her in her tracks. Her mother was sprawled out on the couch, obviously passed out, bottles of beer and wine glasses littering the coffee table and floor. She sighed and rolled her eyes before slipping off her backpack and picking up as many bottles as she could at one time to throw them away. It took fifteen minutes to straighten out the living room, and when she was finished, she washed her hands and picked up her backpack and sliding it on.

Olivia glanced at her watch and groaned. Due to the fact that she walked to school, she made sure to leave extra early to get there on time. However, because of the mess she just cleaned up, there was no way she would make it to school on time. She slipped out the door, locked it with her keys, and began to run down the four flights of stairs praying that she wouldn't be too late to start her first day of high school.

* * *

Something was pushing her, causing a deep pain in her side. She groaned, closing her eyes tighter and pulling the covers over her head. She yelped when she felt her tight skin being pinched and her eyes flew open only to see the silhouette of a young boy pushing into her back, his fingers pinching her side.

"Ryan!" she exclaimed, fumbling around to turn on her light. "What are you doing?"

The young boy plastered a look of innocence on his face, complete with a small smile and big blue eyes. Alex could not help but smile as well, and then shifted her position so that she enveloped her younger brother in her arms and began mercilessly tickling her younger brother. He squealed in surprise and began to laugh contagiously so that Alex laughed as well.

"And just what is going on in here?" a booming voice came from the doorway.

Both Alex and Ryan froze as they looked at their father who was standing straight in his uniform, his blue eyes narrowed at his two children. However, Officer Eames's lips twitched upwards and Ryan burst out into a fit of giggles, causing Alex to laugh again as well.

"Why is this demon in my room?" Alex asked her dead, getting off her bed and looking at her father suspiciously.

"You weren't waking up when your alarm was going off, so I sent him in to wake you up," her father told her. "I didn't want you to be late on your first day of school."

"Oh, shit! What time is it?!" she exclaimed, fumbling around her dresser to grab her clothes.

"Language, young lady," her father said firmly.

"She said a naughty word," Ryan said, pointing accusingly at her sister, his blue eyes wide with wonder.

"I don't have time to shower!" Alex whined, running into her bathroom, and coming out ten minutes later in jeans and a fuchsia three-quarter length sleeved shirt. She wore no make-up; she did not need to. Her straight, dark blonde hair was down and she was brushing her teeth as she slipped on her tennis shoes. Ryan laughed at her until she shot him a death glare. This, of course, only caused him to laugh even harder.

"Are you ready?" Officer Eames asked after he walked into Alex's room again.

Alex nodded as she grabbed her backpack. Ryan grabbed her hand, looking at his father expectantly. Today, Alex would start her first day at New York City High as a junior while Ryan would start second grade. Officer Eames would drive them to school in his squad car before he went to work as a cop for the city of New York.

"Well, then, let's go!" he said, and immediately, Ryan pulled his sister down the stairs and out the door in excitement, their father trailing closely behind.

* * *

"You don't have to yell! The children are trying to sleep before school! Can't you give them another fifteen minutes?"

"Shut up!! In my day, we had to get up two hours before school to cook breakfast for our parents because we knew they were working to keep a roof over our heads!"

It didn't matter; Elliot Stabler was already awake. He sighed, and walked from his room into the bathroom to make sure that both of his parents knew he was up. His mother glanced at him with sympathy while his father glared, and then proceeded to wake up Elliot's older brothers, and younger siblings. His older brother was a freshman in college, and his other older brother a senior in high school, his younger sister was a sophomore in high school, his younger brother was a freshman in high school, and his younger sister was just starting seventh grade. In total, he had three brothers and two sisters.

Elliot took a quick shower, and then pulled on jeans and a grey t-shirt before he went to cook breakfast for his parents. He hated when his father treated his mother the way he did, but he clenched his teeth together and tried not to think about it. He didn't want to get into another 

brawl over how Mr. Stabler should treat his wife. Elliot did not need to explain to his school why he had a black eye today.

As his siblings each took showers and got dressed, he cooked eggs and bacon thinking about the day. He was meeting his girlfriend Kathy, a sophomore, before school. They had been together for nearly six months and he couldn't be happier. She was beautiful, blonde, with blue eyes and a fit body. She was a cheerleader for the football and basketball teams, both of which Elliot played. She seemed to be his only solace in the hell that he lived in.

When he finished, his siblings and mother were already eating, complimenting his culinary skills even though he had burned the bacon. Of course his father would never let him get away with it.

"What the hell is this?" he asked roughly, glaring at his youngest son.

"It's food, Pop," Elliot replied, clenching and unclenching his teeth so that his jaw muscle twitched. He was desperately trying to keep his patience, although his father made it ridiculously hard.

"Yeah, no shit it's food," his father replied. Elliot glanced at his police uniform and nearly rolled his eyes. How could his father treat his family so poorly and yet vow to protect New York's citizens? It was beyond him. "Why is it burned?"

"Arnold," his wife said in a warning tone. Elliot's siblings stopped eating, silently staring at their plates of food. They barely breathed; they did not want to do anything wrong.

"Shut up," Arnold snapped at his wife.

"Hey, don't speak to Mom that way," Elliot said, feeling his patience slowly slip away.

"You wanna tell me how to talk to my wife?" Arnold asked, standing up and taking a step toward Elliot. Elliot, of course, would not back down. He stared his father down, his eyes never wavering. His jaw muscle twitched erratically.

"Everyone, you're going to be late," his mother said, stepping in front of Elliot and his father. "Everyone have their keys? Everyone have their lunches? Alright, you best be off or you're going to be late!"

Elliot glared at his father before turning and grabbing his keys from the key holder. He walked to his car, taking his youngest brother and sister to middle school, while John, his older brother who was a senior, was taking his sister and brother to their high school. Brett, their oldest brother, drove off to campus alone. Elliot did not know why he took responsibility of his siblings; he was not the oldest or the smartest. If anything, he was the toughest. He sighed as he glanced at his clock car. He was going to be late for his meeting with Kathy. Oh well. What else was new?

* * *

_Author's Notes: I really have no idea Elliot and Alex's siblings' names so please forgive me if I get them wrong. New York City High is a fictional school I made up solely for this story. This is just the prologue; please tell me if I should continue or not. Reviews, even flames, are welcome. Thank you!_


	2. Beginnings

**Lives Entwined**

_Chapter One: Beginning_

When Bobby Goren arrived at school, he parked in the student parking lot and made his way over to the gym. He glanced at his watch; he had fifteen minutes to spare before classes started and he decided to get in as much practice as he could. Bobby could never practice outside of school because he always had to be there for his mother, so he usually tried to get to school early and shoot some hoops before classes started.

Inside, he saw his teammate already there. He grinned as he dropped his binder on the bleachers and took off his collared shirt. Underneath was a white wife beater so he could practice without worrying about sweating in his nice shirts. Elliot was wearing jeans and a wife beater as well, his t-shirt lying over his binder. Elliot was one of the quickest players on the basketball team, and quite skillful when it came to handling the ball. Thusly, he was the small forward. He was relatively short compared to the other players on New York City High's basketball team, barely pushing six foot and a half. But his intensity and focus for any sport he played showed that he was capable of anything, and not to be underestimated.

"What are you doing here so early?" Bobby asked, quirking a dark brow as he grabbed a basketball from the ball rack. "I thought football was in season."

"It is," Elliot replied, shooting a grin at his teammate. "I just needed to get some stuff off of my chest, you know?"

"Ah," Bobby replied, taking a shoot as he nodded. "Trouble with the missus then?"

"The thing is, Kathy knows I have stuff going on at home and that I have to take my younger brother and sister to middle school before I come here," Elliot said, retrieving his ball and getting ready to take another shot. "She wanted to meet me a half an hour ago so we could go get breakfast together, which is fine, but when I arrived fifteen minutes late, she was gone. I tried calling her, but it went to her voicemail. She's mad at me."

"She went to breakfast by herself?" Bobby asked curiously.

Elliot shook his head as he released his ball. "Nah," he replied. "She probably got her cheerleading friends to go with her."

"But she didn't call and tell you that?" the taller man clarified, taking another shot for the basket.

Again, Elliot shook her head. "If anything, Kathy wants me to call her a million times and leave her messages begging for her forgiveness," he told his friend. "Hell, she probably 

wanted me to meet her at the diner there! But with fifteen minutes before school starts, there's no way I can eat breakfast and come back, you know?"

"Did you leave her a message?" Bobby asked.

"No," Elliot replied, shaking his head. "I'm not playing these games she wants to play anymore. It's just a waste of my time now, you know? Junior year's supposed to be the hardest year and I don't wanna deal with any of her bullshit."

"It is," Bobby confirmed. "You have to worry about your SATs, SAT 2s, ACTs, picking a college, and maintaining a good GPA."

"How many APs are you taking this year, Bobby?" Elliot asked, a knowing smile on his face. It was known how smart Bobby Goren was throughout the school. He always had straight A's throughout his high school career, no matter how hard his Honor classes and AP classes were. Coach Conklin always made an example out of Bobby; a good player and a good student. Some players took this personally, shunning Bobby, but Elliot always respected Bobby for it, even more so that he was so freaking smart.

"Well, let's see," Bobby began, putting the ball back on the rack and going to his binder to grab his schedule. He began to read it aloud. "I have AP Chemistry, AP English, AP Calculus BC, AP Psychology, AP Political Science for a semester, and then AP Economics, and then AP German." He grinned sheepishly. "And, of course, basketball."

Elliot shook his head in disbelief. "Man, I wish I could fit all of that into my brain capacity, but there's no way I'd be able to handle something like that," he told his friend. "You're lucky the coach let you have an academic class sixth period."

"That's come a hot shot," Bobby replied shrugging, and the two chuckled as the bell rang, indicating that students needed to start heading to class.

Elliot rolled his eyes as the two walked back over to the bleachers, slipping on their respective shirts and parting ways, both about to start the first day of their high school career.

* * *

Being raised by her father made Alex much of a tomboy. However, there were times her girly side would take over. She had made the varsity cheerleading squad when she was a freshman, and held that position. She was the only freshman on that team, even managing to give the seniors a run for their money. She was also part of the dance team, and was incredibly choreographing hip hop and modern dance to a song. However, challenge her at any sport, and she would give you a run for your money there as well. She wasn't the best at sports, but her endurance and determination made her a tough opponent.

Cheerleading also did not come without its benefits. She had been nominated as a princess at her high school's formal two years in a row, and managed to win her sophomore year. She was also highly sought after by members of the opposite sex. Alexandra Eames was turning dates down constantly, partly due to the fact that the only thing high school guys wanted was not what Alex was about to give up, and partly due to the fact that her father was very intimidating in his police uniform, and would scare any guy she happened to bring home away. So she flirted, she rejected, and flirted, and rejected. While at times she wanted a boyfriend to walk the halls with, she was okay being single, very much enjoying her independence.

Alex walked into her AP Chemistry class and took a seat roughly in the middle of the class. She actually wanted to pay attention and do well in this class, but she didn't want to sit too close to the board, getting called on every other day due to her placement in class. There were a couple of other students that she recognized, but didn't really talk to already seated. She glanced up on the board, skimming through what they were going today, and smiled to herself when she read that there was no seating chart. She took a seat in the middle, placing her binder and books on the dark tabletop.

The room was a science room most definitely, due, in part, to the posters hanging on the walls; a periodic table, one with different formulas, one of Einstein. Two sinks were on opposite sides of the room, and a large cabinet up front probably held lab supplies such as goggles and gloves and whatever else a lab might require. Instead of individual desks, there were eight long, dark tables, two groups of four so that there was an aisle in the middle. Instead of chairs, there were stools. This seating was definitely going to Alex's back.

Students began to fill in the classroom. No sign of the teacher, however. Alex was drumming the table with the eraser of her pencil when the tallest person she had ever seen entered the room. He seemed built, with short dark hair, nearly black, and matching eyes. He seemed to have forgotten to shave that morning, and he had the longest fingers she had ever seen. Long fingers had always been some sort of fetish for Alex, and when a guy had them, he was instantly fifty percent more attractive. The guy was wearing a nice shirt with jeans. She had to quirk a brow at that; did he always wear collared shirts to school, or was it just the celebration of starting school? That seemed kind of geeky if it was the latter, but the guy definitely wasn't bad to look at. No, he wasn't the typical drop-dead gorgeous guy, but maybe that was part of his appeal. He had to be smart; he was in an AP class, after all, so that definitely added points. Who knows? She could see develop a special sort of liking for this guy; it all depended on what came out of his mouth because she most definitely did not have the patience for jackasses.

She watched him walk down the aisle and Alex felt herself straighten up when he turned down her row. There was only one seat left unoccupied in her row and that happened to be next to her. Her breath caught in her throat as he dipped to his left side and asked in a softspoken voice, "Is someone sitting here?"

She could not help but stare a bit at his odd stance; it was definitely quirky. A side bend. Did people really do side bends when asking questions? She knew she tilted her head once in a while, but she didn't tilt her upper-body.

"No," she said, after a moment. God, was she stupid? No, not Alexandra Eames! Never was she at a loss for words. "No, go ahead." She even gestured at the empty stool to emphasize her point. God, now she was unable to control her body movements.

"Thanks," he replied, and gave her a small smile.

Alex felt her heart flutter softly and knew she was doomed for the year.

Once he was seated, the teacher walked in, just as the final bell rang. He was relatively short, coming at around five foot nine with black hair and dark, beady eyes hidden behind tiny spectacles. He had a hooked nose and a graying goatee and was wearing a wrinkled black suit. He waited until his class was quiet before proceeding.

"Good morning, everyone," he said. For such a short man, he had a low, booming voice. "As it states on the board, there is no seating chart, and to take roll, I'm going to pass this blank seating chart around. Fill it out; this is where you'll be sitting for the rest of the year." He handed the clipboard with the attached paper to a kid on the end, before he walked back to the center of the class to continue. "My name is Mr. O'Donnell. I am here to teach you Chemistry at an AP level. Since you are here, I am assuming you'll be able to handle that level of teaching. However, there will be a portion of you who won't, and you'll crash, burn and fail this class. Be prepared."

Alex's brow shot up in surprise and her face had a hint of a smirk on her face. She stole a glance at the guy sitting next to her. To her surprise, he was sitting there nonchalantly, his chin in his palm, just staring at the teacher as though he had heard teachers speak like this before.

"See the person sitting next to you?" Mr. O'Donnell continued. "Introduce yourself to your new lab partner. Develop a relationship with this person for you will be with this person for the rest of the semester." The students stared at him, and he stared back. After a moment, he flicked his hands towards them. "Go on, then. Develop your relationship!"

Alex turned to the guy sitting next to her, but he made no move to turn to her. Was this guy being a jerk, or was he like this? Alex wasn't about to waste any time, however.

"I'm Alex," she told him, causing him to turn towards her.

"I'm Bobby," he told her, flashing her his boyish grin. Again, the flutter. Again, the sensation of impending doom.

"I guess we're stuck together for the next year," Alex quipped.

"I guess so," he replied.

Not much of a talker, she realized. Well, it didn't take a genius to figure that one out. Maybe he just didn't want to talk. The thought crossed her mind, but it only heightened her yearning for figuring this guy out. He was a puzzle; a tall, mysterious puzzle who looked oddly familiar to her. Why, though? She would've remembered someone as cute as he was.

"I'm sorry, but you're really familiar to me," Alex said, flipping her hair behind her head with a swish of her head. "Do I know you…?" God, she was a freaking moron? Couldn't be smoother, could you Eames?

Bobby shrugged. "I don't know, exactly," he said, shifting in his stool so that he could see her better. "I play basketball for our varsity team…"

Alex's face lit up as she smiled, and Bobby couldn't help but grin. Apparently excitement was contagious. "Yes! That's where I know you from!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "You're the power forward, aren't you?"

Another boyish grin. "Yeah, I am," he said sheepishly. Ah, he was humble. How cute.

"I'm a cheerleader," she told him. "I cheer for your team."

"Ah," Bobby said, acknowledging the recognition. "Next time I'm on the court I'll make sure to look for you."

Was she blushing? God, she was blushing. "Are you a senior?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding. "And you?"

"Oh, I'm a junior," she said.

"But you're smart," he pointed out. "Or you're really ambitious. Taking AP Chem as a junior is impressive, if you can handle it."

"You'd be surprised at what I can handle," she quipped with a grin. Oh, God, was she flirting? She was flirting. Oh, great, and now that she realized this, she was blushing now too.

Bobby arched an eyebrow up curiously, but said nothing. Quick, Alex, say something fast. Don't let him think you're a typical blonde cheerleader.

"Nice to meet you, partner," she said, sticking out her hand.

He smiled at her and took her small hand within his large one, his long fingers wrapping and her hand. Another flutter. Skin on skin contact may need to be avoided for future reference, especially when handling dangerous chemicals.

"Nice to meet you too, partner," he told her. Boyish grin again.

Oh yes, Alex, you are so doomed.

* * *

As Senora Salmon briefly explained the synopsis of her class, Elliot was staring out the classroom window. He could see the underclassmen in general physical education running around the track. At least, they were supposed to be running. In all honesty, most of them were walking in some sort of formations, probably gossiping on which celebrity would have the next breakdown. There were the few that tried, but the majority didn't seem to care. In a way, that bugged Elliot because he was always aware of his fitness, not to the point of vanity, but he definitely cared about it. If kids weren't getting into shape now, they were doomed. Their future was doomed.

He remembered as an eighth grader that he was given the option of going into general education or playing a sport. The decision was probably one of the easiest decisions he ever had to make. Hell yes he would take a sport. Sign him up for as many sports as he possibly could. Football, basketball, track. Even now he was considering adding baseball to his list. He had played in the Little League and was quite good. Watching baseball games on television seemed to have reawakened his passion for America's pastime.

Senora Salmon was taking role. Elliot tilted his head to the side as he studied his first period teacher. She was incredibly short, her grey hair tied into a tight bun. She wore thick bottle cap glasses and there was some lipstick on her teeth. She was wearing a light lavender blouse and a tawny pencil skirt. Her legs were covered in nylons with a running seem, and on her feet were big, clunky black shoes. She had to be over sixty, maybe even over seventy. When she spoke, her voice was clear but tainted with age.

At that moment, a girl walked in. She had shoulder-length chestnut colored hair and big, brown eyes. She was wearing a layered shirt and jeans. Her lips were full, and her body formed a very nice hourglass. She was tall for her age; Elliot figured she was either a junior or maybe a sophomore, but whatever grade she was in, she was cute. No, not cute; pretty. Very, very pretty.

"Good morning!" Senora Salmon exclaimed. Someone her age should not have that much excitement at seven thirty in the morning. Hell, _no one _should have that much excitement at seven thirty in the morning.

"Hi," the girl said shyly. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"That's quite alright, dear," the Spanish 3 teacher said with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Olivia Benson," the girl replied. Olivia. What an unusual name. But it fit her.

"Olivia Benson," the teacher murmured, glancing down at her role sheet. She pushed her bottle cap glasses back up the bridge of her nose a total of three times before finding her name and erasing the slash by it. After fixing her glasses a fourth time, she looked up at her student with a friendly smile. "Why don't you sit in front of Mr. Stabler. Mr. Stabler? Please raise your hand."

Elliot sat up and did as he was instructed. Olivia nodded and walked over to where Senora Salmon indicated, a light blush tinting her olive complexion. She slipped off her backpack and then sat down. Bending down, she rummaged in her pack for paper, a pencil, and her Spanish 3 book. Elliot watched in amusement. This girl was a good girl, he noticed.

Without fully comprehending what he was doing, he leaned over his desk and whispered, "I'm Elliot," he introduced.

Olivia turned a bit, arching her neck back to look at the boy behind her. She was startled at the blueness of his eyes, but managed to retort quietly, "I know. The teacher pointed you out to me, remember?"

Elliot was slightly taken aback by the girl's comment. He was expecting a shy reply, maybe even a smile with no response, not some spunky retort. He had to think a moment before he replied, "Well, yeah, I knew that."

"That's good," she responded before turning back around to look at the board.

Senora Salmon was beginning to write a _Para Empazar _on the board, a warm-up activity before getting into actually teaching the lesson. Elliot watched her pick up her pencil and began to write, his body still stretched over his desk.

"So, are you a sophomore or something?" he asked her. He was drawn to her for some reason; he wanted to know more about her.

"Good guess," she replied. This time, however, she kept her back facing him, focusing on the work at hand.

"So I take it you took Spanish 1 in eighth grade then?" he asked her.

"Another good guess," Olivia said as she wrote. "You should think about becoming a detective."

"Actually, I am," Elliot said. "Now who's good at guessing?"

Olivia could not help herself from smiling as she rolled her eyes and continued to answer the _Para Empazar_.

Elliot sat back, just looking at Olivia from behind. There was something about her… He could smell a fruity scent with a hint of vanilla radiating from her body. He sighed through his nose and began to copy what was on the board down on his piece of paper. Every now and then, his blue eyes would glance up and look at Olivia's back, watching her back muscles tense and release, watching the movement of her right arm as she wrote, watching her push her hair behind her ear only to have it fall over her shoulder.

The class went by relatively quickly for it being Spanish at seven thirty in the morning. Senora Salmon didn't teach anything new; the class just reviewed what they learned last year. All in all, it was an easy class. Elliot scribbled down the homework, and put everything away just as the bell for next period rang. He took a moment to watch Olivia gather her things and slip on her backpack before taking his cue to hurry past her. He glanced back at her and flashed her a grin.

"I guess I'll see you around," he said.

"We'll see," she replied, and with that, Elliot turned and walked out the classroom door.

* * *

Bobby walked in to his AP Psychology class with a few minutes to spare. He nodded at the teacher, Mr. Dinneen, who gave him a smile back. Mr. Dinneen was also to boys' basketball coach; he was in his early forties, with graying hair a light blue eyes. He was tall, beating Bobby's height by a mere half inch, but he slouched which caused him to appear shorter. When he spoke, his voice was a monotone, but he was incredibly laidback. Like his first three classes, the teachers didn't bother with a seating chart. The way they figured, a majority of their students were seniors, and all of them were AP students so they figured their students were mature enough to pick their seats. Mr. Dinneen was no different.

Bobby chose a seat in the front row corner of the class, placing his binder on his desk and stretching out his long legs. As he did so, a girl tripped over his long legs, her binder slipping from her arms and causing her to fall her over. Bobby immediately shot up, his cheeks burning red at his carelessness, only to drop to his knees to help pick up the binder and the papers that fell from it. He started muttering apologies, before looking up to see the girl he met in first period. She narrowed her eyes at him, an eyebrow arched but a small smile played at her lips.

"Again, I apologize," he said, handing her the dropped items.

"I'm a big girl," Alex replied as the two stood up. "Remember, you would be surprised at what I can handle."

"I see that holds true now," he replied with a grin.

"We'll see how long that lasts," Alex quipped. "You seem to go out of your way to try to break me down."

Bobby smiled at her but said nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her sit down in the middle of the classroom, leaning back into her chair. She was beautiful. Straight, dark blonde hair fell slightly past her shoulders, and bangs scattered across her forehead. She had brown eyes, and was incredibly short compared to his height. Five foot four was pushing it. She was slim and her clothes revealed comfort. Or maybe she woke up late and didn't have time to put more effort into her outfit. She wasn't wearing makeup either, which likely proved his point. But Bobby liked her this way. Natural. Maybe, just maybe, this was just who she was. She didn't rush to the bathroom at break to put on makeup, and she didn't seem to mind wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Then again, maybe his whole perception of cheerleaders was wrong. Whatever the case, she had piqued his interest enough to figure it out.

* * *

Olivia and Casey walked into their Algebra 2 class together. It was currently fourth period, and after relaying information about their first two periods, the bell had rung. They shared third period together, Combined Sciences 2, and had fifth period together as well.

Olivia and Casey were best friends since the beginning of seventh grade, and were inseparable ever since. They shared everything with each other; gossip, problems with boys, crushes on boys, problems with parents, problems with friends, problems with girls, _everything_. This was one of the first times when they had half of their classes together which, for Olivia, was a good omen for the coming year.

"What is your name?" the teacher asked, a clipboard in his hand. He quirked a brow, narrowing his eyes at the two women. "We have a seating chart in this class and I will assign you to your seat."

"Uh… Olivia Benson," Olivia replied, shooting Casey a look that she returned.

"Ah, Ms. Benson, you are going to be sitting second row, third column down," the teacher replied.

Olivia sat down as he helped Casey find her seat. A line started to form as the incoming students started to fill in the class room. Luckily, Casey only sat two seats away from her. If the person who sat between them was chill, Casey and she could pass notes during class.

"I think he's doing it boy-girl," Casey observed as the seats slowly started to fill up. Her brow shot up and a smirk settled on her face. "Liv, a cute guy could be sitting between us."

"Eye candy at this school?" Olivia snorted in disbelief. "I'll believe it when I see it."

It was at that moment that a familiar face caught Olivia's eye. What was his name? Elliot, Elliot Stabler. He was tall, at least six foot, with very short brown hair and the bluest eyes Olivia had ever encountered. He was fit, he was buff, and his charming smile made her heart skip a beat. A girl was with him, his strong arm wrapped lazily around her waist. Something inside Olivia dropped. Of course he had a girlfriend. Why wouldn't she think he wouldn't have one? He was gorgeous and charming. And she, well she was beautiful, as Olivia expected anyone on his arm to be. She was five foot six with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Mascara elongated her lashes, gloss plumped her lips. Her complexion was pale, and she was dressed fashionable; in a pink, long-sleeved shirt and a miniskirt that revealed her long legs. She was beautiful, and Olivia hated that she hated the girl for it.

For a moment, Olivia's eyes met Elliot's, and his brow rose in recognition. Immediately, Olivia's dropped to stare at her desk. _Please don't sit him next to me. Please don't sit him next to me._

Unfortunately for her, Elliot swaggered over to the seat between Casey and Olivia and plopped down, leaning back in his seat.

"I told you we'd be seeing each other again," Elliot said, flashing her a smile.

Keep your cool, Liv. Don't let him see you sweat. He has a girlfriend. He has a girlfriend. "And I told you you were a good guesser," she said with a smirk. "We're even."

At that moment, Olivia felt eyes on her. Not from Elliot and not from Casey, but from someone else. She raised her eyes only to come in contact blue ones. Blue eyes that were attached to the girl that was previously within Elliot's hold. They were not friendly; no, they were glaring at Olivia. Was she jealous of Olivia? For talking to her boyfriend? Olivia wasn't sure whether she felt flattered or offended. All Olivia knew was that she was doomed this year, good omens or not. Doomed because of a boy named Elliot.

* * *

_Author's Notes: I decided to post this quicker than I first anticipated, but I wanted to get you guys the first real chapter so you could see where this is headed. First day is nearly done. We just need to get to the sixth period which is athletics for everyone except Bobby. Please review and tell me what you think. Also, I'm just doing this one day at a time so please, feel free to offer up any suggestions. Thanks! Remember, the more reviews, the quicker I get the chapter out! Ta for now! Also, the titles for each chapter was an idea I took from __**Bensler**__ so I didn't think of it myself. Please review. It would make me happy! And thanks to those of you who did so. ___


	3. Balls

**Live Entwined**

_Chapter Two: Balls_

Olivia was in a loose jersey, track shorts, shin guards, knee-length socks, and cleats by the time the warning bell for sixth period rang. She was in the field with a couple of other girls on the soccer team, juggling her ball. When Olivia had the black and white checkered ball at her feet, her focus was solely on the game. She lived and breathed soccer; it was her passion. She played since first grade, was an All-Star in fourth grade, and in sixth grade played for an AP team. While there were many clubs that offered her a position, Olivia could never afford to be on a traveling team. However, that never stopped her. As a freshman, she tried out for and made the varsity soccer team for New York City High. Many of the seniors gave her a hard time for being so young and so talented, but by the end of the season, they came to respect her.

Olivia was the type of person to have a couple of close friends and many acquaintances. She really didn't trust people, but those that she did had her undying loyalty and unwavering support. Her one and only close friend was Casey, but Olivia had a couple of friends that she talked to during classes she had without Casey. Soccer happened to be one of these classes. Casey was incredibly intelligent, but she was also athletic. Her sport of choice was cheerleading. Like Olivia, when Casey put her mind to something, she would stop at nothing to attain it. Casey was a junior varsity cheerleader her freshman year, and a varsity cheerleader this year. So while Casey was busy cheerleading, Olivia was juggling, waiting for her team to commence.

"Hey, Liv!" a voice greeted.

Olivia looked up, placing her arm over her forehead to block out the sun. She smiled when she recognized who it was.

"Hey Sarah," Olivia returned.

Sarah was a sophomore like she was. With light brown hair pulled up in a ponytail and blue eyes, Sarah was incredibly pretty. She was short, but she was fast and was incredibly successful as a right forward while Olivia usually defended as a sweeper. Sarah was the closest person to Olivia on the team, not only because they were the only sophomores, but because they shared the love for the sport.

"How were classes?" Sarah asked as she juggled her ball.

"The usual," Olivia replied, shrugging. "You?"

"Same ol', same ol'," Sarah returned. "I'm glad the day's over."

"I hear ya on that one," Olivia said, grinning.

Soon, everyone had gathered, and then the coaches made their way out to the soccer field. New York City High was divided into two sections; there were the academic buildings and then the athletic fields. The track was closest to the parking lot. Adjacent to the track was the soccer field, and then finally, with the most portion of land, was the football field. Tucked away in a far corner, at the very end of the football field, was the baseball field. When sixth period rolled around, one could make their way down to the field and see the cross-country team jogging around the track, the soccer team working out for the upcoming soccer season, the football team practicing, and the baseball team practicing for their spring season. On occasion, the cheerleading team would practice on a small portion of football field, as it was today.

"Good to see everyone today," the head coach, Coach Ramon, said. Ramon was a tall, strong black man with a bald head and brown eyes. A white visor wrapped around his head and he was wearing a black jersey and matching pants with tennis shoes on his feet. His assistant coach, Brian, stood beside him. Brian was white, shorter than Ramon, with a navy blue beanie over his blond hair. Brian was a couple years younger than Ramon, his blue eyes hidden behind black shades. He was wearing a plain dark shirt and track pants, cleats on his feet.

"Alright, let's stretch, warm up, and then start practice," Ramon continued. "Priscilla, why don't you lead them in stretches, okay?"

Priscilla nodded, and the twelve girls formed a circle and silently followed Priscilla's stretches. Olivia loved stretching because of how it relaxed her. She let her mind wander as she effortlessly touched the ground with her palms without bending her knees. The guy, Elliot, was definitely attractive. Those blue eyes penetrated the wall she had built around her heart, and that smile, that charming smile, made her heart flutter. She didn't know why she was disappointed when she found out he was seeing someone else because she wasn't looking for any relationship. In fact, she never really had a relationship. Never knowing who her biological father was made it hard to trust guys, but that didn't stop Olivia from looking. She was human, after all, and she wasn't blind. In fact, Elliot Stabler would make very nice eye candy. With a smile, she began to jog around the field with her teammates.

* * *

Casey walked out to the football field in the usual cheerleading warm-up attire; a tank top, short-shorts, and tennis shoes. Her strawberry-brown hair was up, her bangs pushed to the side so they were out of her eyes. As per usual when the cheerleading team came out to practice on the football field, the varsity football team would catcall and whistle. As a hazing experiment, some would dare the fresh/soph team to steal a pompom or some other childish trick. Casey rolled her eyes at the attention she and her team received, shooting the guys a dirty look and flipping them off. Of course, this only fueled their harassment.

"Hey Kath, what's up?" Casey asked, going over to her blonde friend. Casey already could see her friend's blush easily across her pale skin. She watched as the blonde girl glanced at a particular football player and then looked away again, finally meeting Casey's stare.

"Oh, is that the elusive Elliot I've heard so much about?" Casey teased as she watched said elusive Elliot get teased by his teammates for having a girlfriend on the cheerleading squad.

"Shut up, Case," Kathy said briskly, walking around Casey to get closer with the squad.

Casey's brow shot up in surprise. Everyone knew Kathy could be a bitch sometimes, but it usually only surfaced when provoked. Something had happened to get Kathy upset, and for some reason, Casey wanted to know why. Casey and Kathy weren't incredibly close, but they spoke often when they practiced, and Casey considered her somewhat of a friend. Kathy had told her about her boyfriend; apparently their six month anniversary was coming up later this month, but never had Kathy actually pointed him out.

Casey studied the guy. Why was he so familiar to her? After a moment of deep thought, her eyes widened in realization. That's why he was so familiar; he was the guy who sat in between her and Olivia. It was then that she chastised herself. Kathy walked in with him! He was cute, no doubt. She chewed the bottom of her lip. She had seen Olivia glance at him a couple of times throughout Algebra 2. She had also seen him stare at Olivia, a bit more blatantly. Maybe that was why Kathy was upset.

Oh, God, it wasn't even the end of the first day of school and Casey could already feel the recipe of a drama begin to sizzle.

"Alright, everybody, let's get into formation!" Alex, a co-captain, exclaimed.

Alex was Casey's favorite co-captain. She was the first freshman in City High to make the varsity squad. Casey more than respected her; she looked up to her. Alex also had a soft-spot for the sophomore, especially since when Casey was a freshman; Alex was her cheer-buddy. Cheer-buddies was a program that helped freshman cheerleaders adjust to the team, as well as New York City High. Even after Casey "graduated" from the program, she and Alex still remained close.

The cheer squad practiced, and practiced hard. They won national championships due to their determination. They took their sport incredibly seriously, and every member on the team did their part to make sure they were strong enough, slim enough, and smart enough to make their team the best it could be. While some at the school did not take cheerleading more than a flimsy routine that only added to a football game, many came to respect the effort the squad put into each and every one of their routines.

Casey was very proud of her team, and did her part to ensure that she did the best she could on the team. She was sharp, she was focused, and she was good. Damn good. In fact, 

Casey even helped choreograph part of their routine. That was how committed she was. Casey was a dancer on the team. Sometimes she would help hold up a lighter member of the squad, and catch them when they fell, but she mostly danced because that was her specialty. Alex was light; she was one of the cheerleaders that were tossed in the air. Kathy was also tossed into the sky, although Kathy danced at times as well.

They had an incredible team.

* * *

"Benson and Stabler, you guys are partners!" Ramon exclaimed, going down a list of players on his check-off list.

Olivia's brows pushed together as Sarah joined her. Stabler… Where had she heard that name today? Elliot! That was Elliot's last name! She knew Sarah's last name was Stabler, but never really put two and two together. Sarah was Elliot's sister. Elliot was Sarah's brother. How could she not have known.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked. "You look like you ate something wrong."

"I didn't know Elliot was your brother," Olivia replied quickly.

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Oh gosh, here we go again," Sarah said. "What did he do this time?"

Olivia grinned, but shook her head. "Oh, he didn't do anything," she said. "I have a couple of classes with him."

Sarah laughed. "Have fun with that," she said, grinning like a cheshire cat.

Olivia rolled her eyes as Ramon started to explain their drill. "Okay, you guys. Hey, pay attention! Alright, here's what you guys are going to be doing; one of you is going to punt the ball while your partner will trap it and then punt it back. Got it? Okay, let's go."

Sarah and Olivia separated a reasonable length, Sarah closer to the football field while Olivia deeper into the soccer field. Sarah punted the ball and Olivia managed to the trap the ball with her chest before letting the ball hit the floor. Then, Olivia grabbed the ball with her hands, dropped it, and punted it. Except it went farther than she intended it to go. It went over Sarah's head and soared over to the football team. Sarah shook her head, walking towards her so that she did not have to get the ball. Olivia's mouth dropped open as she watched her ball hit a football player's head. Sarah smirked at her and Olivia shook her head.

"I'm going to get you for this, Stabler," she retorted playfully and then began to make her way over to the football field. Oh well. At least football players wear helmets, right?

* * *

Elliot wasn't expecting a lot of things that happened on his first day of school. He wasn't expecting to get in a fight with his father. He wasn't expecting Kathy to ditch him when he was late, and then not answer his calls (or maybe he was). He wasn't expecting being immediately drawn (attracted?) to a sophomore, Olivia Benson. He wasn't expecting to share another class with her _and _his girlfriend. (He was definitely going to have fun with that one.) He wasn't expecting the cheerleaders to practice on the football field. He wasn't expecting to get ribbed for dating one of the cheerleaders. And last but not least, he did not expect to get hit on the head by a soccer ball.

Nobody asked him if he was alright. In fact, he wasn't expecting them to. But they weren't laughing at him again. Instead, they were staring at the culprit who had kicked the ball. The very familiar culprit. The very familiar female culprit with chestnut hair and brown eyes and an hourglass figure (not that he noticed, of course). Olivia Benson.

"A little help?" she asked the football team, a brow quirked.

"Apparently we're the ones who need help," Elliot said, picking up the ball and walking over to her. "You know, with soccer ball flying everywhere, who knows where they might land."

"You totally nailed Stabler in the cranium!" a boy said, clamping his arm around Elliot's shoulder and pointing a finger at him.

"I didn't mean to," Olivia said impatiently, still waiting for her ball to be returned.

"Damn," the guy said. "Then I'd definitely be afraid when you do mean to do something." He flashed Olivia a grin and then stuck out his hand. "I'm Blake Harvey. Quarterback."

Olivia pushed her brow together but allowed him to shake her hand. She stole a glance at Elliot, only to find his blue eyes zoned in on Blake shaking her head. His jaw popped a couple of times. She redirected her gaze back at Blake, and then shifted it to Elliot, completely blowing off the senior's unspoken question of her name. This caused him to smirk a bit.

"Can I get my ball back, please?" Olivia asked. She stuck out her hip, placing a fist on it. Another sign of impatience.

"Did you really kick that?" Elliot asked as he handed her back her ball.

Olivia nodded, taking the ball from him and dropping it on the ground. She stepped on it with a foot and then looked back at Elliot. "Yeah," she replied, "I did."

"She could definitely teach Leech a thing or two, eh?" Blake said, turning to Elliot. He glanced back at Olivia. "Leech is our kicker, but I guarantee, he has nothing on you. Where'd you learn to do something like that?"

Olivia forced herself to not roll her eyes although it was very difficult. "Practice," she retorted flatly and then glanced at Elliot. "Sorry 'bout the ball hitting your head."

"I forgive you," Elliot said with a small smile on his face, "this time."

This time, Olivia could not refrain from rolling her eyes and then started dribbling the ball back to the soccer field. Elliot watched her the whole way.

"Damn, she was fizzine!" Blake exclaimed, using some slang he picked up from BET.

Elliot didn't hear him; he was watching her jog away.

* * *

Cheer practice went until four o'clock. For the most part. The girls were in line most of the time. There were a few episodes that caused the girls to become temporarily distracted… like when a soccer ball happened to hit Elliot Stabler square on the head. Alex actually laughed when she saw that happened. Hell, she wanted to go over and by the girl a slice of pie at the diner for her precision. She glanced at Kathy, Elliot's girlfriend, but oddly, she wasn't looking at Elliot to see if he was okay, she was looking at the girl who happened to have over-punted the ball. No, not looking. Kathy was _glaring_. Well, the girl didn't actually mean to hit Elliot in the head. Come on now. Alex rolled her eyes. This was why she didn't like relationships; way too much drama.

Although… the guy she happened to meet today (the same guy who tripped her) was relatively quiet. If she was dating him, there wouldn't be too much drama, would there? Bobby didn't seem like the drama-type.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Dating Bobby, Alex? You just barely met him. Why are you even entertaining the idea?

Well, he _is _kind of cute. And he really didn't seem like one to get mixed in with all the drama. And he happened to be coming out of the gym in a basketball jersey with a grey t-shirt underneath and shorts, revealing his long legs. He was sweaty too.

Doomed, doomed, doomed. Do I have to remind you how-

"Alex?"

Oh shit.

"Oh hey Bobby," she said, glancing down at herself. Of course she didn't want to change so she could get home faster which meant that she was in a tank top and short-shorts. God, she hoped he didn't think she was a slut. Wait- why do you even care what he thinks?

Because he's freaking cute, that's why.

"Hey." Boyish grin. You know, the one that was going to freakin' kill her. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh, I'm just going home," Alex replied nervously. She stopped walking when she was a couple of feet from him. He was sweaty, and his nice shirt and jeans must be in the athletic bag he was carrying because he was wearing basketball shorts and wife beater. He had probably just gotten out of practice. His cologne was strong, mixed in with his musky, natural scent and made Alex think that the way he smelled was how a man should smell after just getting out of practice. His hair seemed to be glued to his forehead, and due to the sweat, his clothes seemed to hug his body just a little tighter. Alex couldn't help but stare at his fit body, thinking of the way she wanted to feel that body beneath her fingertips.

Oh God, Alex, you have to think of that now… in front of him? Calm yourself. You're not a middle school boy, you know.

"Where do you live?" he asked her, crossing his arms over his chest. Hello, biceps. Now she was imagining herself being held by those strong, muscular arms… Get a hold of yourself, Eames!

"Um… a few blocks away," she told him.

"Do you want a lift?" Bobby asked, gesturing towards the senior parking lot with his free hand. Alex opened her mouth to protest, but it was as though Bobby could read her mind because he interjected quickly, stopping her from refusing his offer. "New York is a pretty dangerous place. You never know what could be out there."

"I'm a big girl," Alex said, feeling her face flame. He was offering her a ride. She could barely control her impure thoughts, how the hell was she supposed to control her actions with him… in a car… alone? Not that she would jump him, of course, she did have self-control, however minimal it was.

"That may be the problem," Bobby replied, giving her body a quick glance before returning his dark eyes to her face.

"ALEX!!"

Alex shut her eyes. Of course Kathy would call out now, out of all the times she could open her big mouth. She really did have perfect timing, didn't she? Alex decided to kill her once she got the blonde sophomore alone.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kathy asked tauntingly once she got over to Alex and Bobby.

"No," Alex replied. Kill! Kill! Kill!

"Hey Bobby," Kathy greeted. "How's basketball?"

"It's good," Bobby replied.

How did Kathy know Bobby? Alex didn't like thinking she was a jealous person. Jealousy was irrational and illogical, and Alex knew that she was neither of those two things. Therefore, she wasn't jealous. However, Alex could willingly admit that she was incredibly territorial. Her eyes narrowed at the younger girl. Was she flirting with Bobby? Her boyfriend did play basketball… maybe she knows him that way?

She would give Kathy the benefit of the doubt, but that would not stop her from killing the girl for interrupting their moment.

"So Alex," Kathy said, turning back towards the junior. From the corner of Alex's eye she could see Bobby shift uncomfortably. "Elliot's going to give me a ride home, and I wanted to know if you needed one since you live on the way?"

Not just kill, but brought back to life and then killed again.

No ride! Bobby was going to give her a ride!

She glanced at Bobby, obvious disappointment in her light brown eyes, but nodded nonetheless.

"Sure Kath," she said. "That would be great, thanks." She gave Bobby one last look. "Thank, Bobby, for the offer."

"Another time, then?" Bobby said politely.

Alex nodded. "Of course." Looking forward to it is more like it, bub.

With that, the two walked away, in separate directions.

* * *

"So, Alex, I didn't know you had a thing for Bobby!" Kathy exclaimed from the front passenger seat in Elliot's car. She was practically straddling the seat backwards had it not been for her seatbelt. Her blue eyes were filled with excitement.

"I mean, he's cute in a geeky sort of way, but he's way tall," Kathy continued, obviously ignoring Alex's glare. Either that, or she was just immune to the thing. Alex had shot Kathy her glare too many times to count.

"Bobby's a good guy," Elliot put in. Was that a smirk on his face? Elliot was another person on Alex's **To Kill **list. "He's a genius."

"I do _not _have a thing for Bobby Goren," Alex clarified tightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "That ball musta hit you on the head harder than we initially thought."

"Har-har," Elliot said with a roll of his eyes, but a small smile played across his lips.

Kathy was suddenly quiet. She was facing the right way, just looking at her nails and inspecting her cuticles. Alex wasn't sure why Kathy had suddenly shut up. The girl was known for drastic mood changes, that was for sure. Alex experienced them firsthand. Whatever the reason, Alex was glad the young girl did shut up. She leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, and sighed silently. She didn't need people telling her how she felt, especially when she had a sinking suspicion that Kathy may turn out to be right.

* * *

_Author's Notes: Hey guys. To those of you that did review, I tremendously appreciate it. However, it really bothers me to see how many people who have this story as their favorite, or have this story on their alert list, and yet five people have reviewed. And these aren't short chapters. I really do take a lot of time writing this, and it takes two seconds to review. I would really appreciate the encouragement or I won't be as inspired to write. I don't need a big review, a couple of words would be nice though. So please review, or chapters will start coming out less and less. If you guys don't give me any feedback, how am I supposed to know how I'm doing? I'm going to say it one more time; please review._

_Okay, I'm done ranting. If anyone has any suggestions, please tell me because I'm taking this one chapter at a time. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to comment on the characterization. Am I on, or off with the characters?_

_Thank you very much, and have a great Memorial Day!_


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